Santander, February 19th-22nd 2008 - Aranzadi

Archaeomalacological Data from the Bronze Age Industrial Complex of Pyrgos-Mavroraki (Cyprus). A Non-dietary Mollusc Exploitation Case
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exchanges attested between the island and the
Near East. Ostrich egg-shell fragments, ivory and
even Nilotic fish remains are, in fact, reported in
Bronze Age Cypriot sites (Reese 1991: 188).
The Pyrgos-Mavroraki datum finally modifies
this anomalous situation.
12. CONCLUSIONS
Archaeomalacological data from Pyrgos-
Mavroraki confirm that the areas excavated to date
had no housing function but only an industrial one
as no food consumption of molluscs is attested.
Most of the shells seem to be ascribable to an
ornamental use and/or to an apotropaic value.
Some of the ornaments were manufactured on
the site as demonstrated by the “Cassid lip” data.
One of the data which emerged from archaeomalacological
analyses is the cultural continuity
with the most ancient Cypriot phases that characterize
Bronze Age Pyrgos.
“Cassid lip pendants” manufacturing and use
at Pyrgos testify to the continuation of a Neolithic
and Chalcolithic eastern Mediterranean tradition
that in other Cypriot contemporary sites is less
attested.
The unperforated “Cassid lips pendants” of
Pyrgos match well with the Cypriot tradition already
remarked by Reese (1989) whereas the Near
Eastern ones are generally bored.
“Philia pendants” of Pyrgos testify to a strong
sense of belonging of the local community to the
Cypriot cultural koiné of the first phase of the Early
Bronze Age, according to Frankel and Webb’s
idea (see: Frankel and Webb 2004). However,
whereas on the one hand these archaeomalacological
data suggest that the cultural world of Pyrgos
had deep roots in the ancient Cypriot tradition and
was part of a strongly characterized Cypriot culture,
on the other hand there is evidence of the opening
to contacts and to influences of the cultural
world external to Cyprus. Indo-Pacific shells found
in Pyrgos-Mavroraki are a unique case in the
Cypriot Bronze Age. They confirm exchanges with
the Near East or Egypt which to date have only
been attested by other kinds of remains, like ivory
and ostrich egg-shell fragments. Moreover the
imperforated inedible shells from Pyrgos, very rare
in other Cypriot Bronze Age sites, but widespread
in the Aegean ones, may suggest mere affinities or
alternatively cultural connections with contemporary
western cultures.
Another datum is supplied by the distributional
analysis of archaeomalacological remains at
Pyrgos.
Six of the nine cowries discovered in the
industrial complex of Pyrgos were found in the
weaving room (see Fig. 2) and two in the perfume
factory. In addition, the Gibberula necklace was
found in the perfume area as the Conus fragments.
Four more holed Gibberula shells were
found in the weaving room while another one was
lying near the loom weight stove. Both the “Philia”
pendants, four of the six “Cassid lip” pendants
and nine of the thirteen murex shells were also
found in the weaving room. These data suggest
that whoever wore shell ornaments or brought
unperforated shells as the cowries mainly frequented
the rooms devoted to the textile and perfume
industries rather than areas devoted to
metallurgical activities.
An attempt to interpret these distributional
data could be made considering the role of
cowries in the ancient and modern
Mediterranean cultures.
Cowries were used in the prehistory for different
purposes: as ornament, amulet, in funerary
rituals and also as money (see: Bar-Yosef Mayer
2000, Becker 1996, among others). Nevertheless
their shells had been used in Mediterranean
countries as simple ornaments or lucky charms
from prehistory until a few decades ago, mainly
by women (e.g. Gobert 1951, Reese 1991: 189).
Cowries have always stimulated human imagination;
in fact the aperture of their shell surrounded
by the lips recalls the human vulva. Because
of such genital symbolism, many cultures associate
these shells with apotropaic powers for the
protection of female fertility or against the evil eye
(e.g. a Luria lurida pendant was presented by the
grandmother to her granddaughter when she
had her menarche in some southern Italy regions
until the beginning of the last century). This can
explain why cowries are often found in young
girls’ graves as reported by Reese (1991: 189).
Both archaeological and ethnographical data
suggest that cowries have been generally associated
with the female gender since prehistory in
Mediterranean cultures. Thus the concentration
of the cowries, of the shell necklace and of the
other ornamental shells in the weaving room and
in the perfume factory of Pyrgos-Mavroraki may
reflect a division of production activities between
women and men in an industrial complex where
both sexes were actively involved.
MUNIBE Suplemento - Gehigarria 31, 2010
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